Apple users can now officially begin downloading the new update for iPhones, iPads and fifth generation iPod Touches, as iOS 8.0 becomes free to install.
Here Are Some More Features We Knew Were Coming To iOS 8
Apple dubs this new update "the biggest release since the launch of the App Store," which refers equally to the importance of this update as well as its file size. iPhone users whose device is already packed with apps and media may need to clear some space if they want to get on this new OS right out of the starting gate. The update takes a little bit to download and install as well, depending on the speed of your wireless connection (my iPad installation took about 45 minutes from start to finish).
iOS 8 changes up many of the apps that Apple owners use most often. Photos now includes the ability to rotate, crop and even adjust levels with an in-app set of editing tools. Pictures are also now easily sorted by date taken, with default albums for pictures recently taken as well as recently deleted. This last folder will show you how many days the photo has before being deleted for good. Tapping on it will let you permanently delete it yourself or recover the picture back into your albums. The Camera app also now has a timer for framed shots and time lapse capability if you're interested in setting your phone up for long exposure shots. These neat time lapses even get put in their own default Time Lapse album.
Messaging has evolved beyond text and pictures to allow audio, video and even map coordinates to be sent as a message. You can also now swipe a message toward the middle to see when it was sent. As for Safari, the new version lets users zoom out to see all open tabs at once and close them at will with a click of a button or just a swipe left.
Keyboards themselves are also getting updated with predictive typing. As you type, iOS 8 will constantly offer you suggestions for words you might type next. Over time, your iOS device will learn how you type, even learning the difference between talking to your mom and your boss. It will then gradually get better at suggesting what word you'll type next, a handy feature for iPhone users who find themselves texting slowly with just a thumb while on the go.
Some new default apps iOS users can expect include the Podcasts app, which, unsurprisingly, lets you subscribe to podcasts and keep them all in one place. iPhone users can look forward to the new Health app that will no doubt become more useful once the Apple Watch hits the market next year. There's also a Tips app that helps new users get accustomed to all of the new features present in iOS 8.
Siri has been updated with new uses, including a song recognition software powered by Shazam. Just ask Siri what a particular song is, and she'll try to figure it out. The result will even include a "Buy" button in case you need to have that song then and there. iCloud also received a big update with the introduction of iCloud Drive, a file hosting service that allows users to access their files from any of their Apple devices. Every user starts out with 5 GB of space free, though monthly subscriptions can get you more.
iOS 8 is also a bonus for third-party developers, who now have access to the previously locked Touch ID button on iPhone 5S models. Now, third-party apps can allow users to sign in to their game or service just using their fingerprint.
iOS 8 is live now for Apple devices. Anything that ran iOS 7, with the exception of the iPhone 4, can run iOS 8.
